


Making a Home

by TheRedConverseGirl



Category: Naruto
Genre: Baby Sarada, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Married Life, Sasuke is a family man, Slice of Life, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 06:21:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26348515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedConverseGirl/pseuds/TheRedConverseGirl
Summary: In other words, Uchiha Sasuke embraces domesticity with open arms and a full heart. [SasuSaku] [Domestic Fluff]
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 46
Kudos: 258





	Making a Home

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> This is the result of an ask I received on tumblr. I'm not sure if it's even a request or a fic drop, but it got me to write this story.
> 
> Here it is:
> 
> _Anonymous said: Imagine before Sasuke long mission likely he was the one to stay with baby Sarada at home while Sakura was working in the hospital. It was hard to both Sarada and Sakura stay away from the other so frequently Sasuke bring her to see her mom. Sometimes he needed to see Kakashi because of an important but short mission and he was very serious talking to him while Srd playing with her papa hair._
> 
> ~ Happy Reading! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related.

Fatherhood, contrary to popular belief, comes naturally to him.

For many men, the realization that they are a father comes when they see their baby for the first time; when they hold that tiny human that they helped create, that new life that came to exist because of love.

Some fathers know by the moment they feel that first kick, the soft nudge against their palm. Some need a few days after birth to adjust to the new reality, but that's ok too.

For Sasuke, the awareness comes like a wave washing down the shore. He senses the smallest of the chakra pulses, a spike if you may, that flares as he approaches his wife. His bloodline comes to life and spins, following the new chakra signature around them, and immediately he _knows_.

Maybe that's why Sakura doesn't act surprised when his affinity with their baby kicks in immediately. Her husband is, and always has been, a family man after all.

Still, it's a highly unexpected scene – to anybody else – to see the dark, tall figure that used to be in the high-ranks of the shinobi bingo book, being so caring and nurturing in broad daylight.

As they enter the gates and stroll through the familiar roads of their home village, Sakura notices the double-takes and curious stares directed to her new little family – more precisely to her husband and the newborn baby nestled in the crook of his lone arm.

* * *

Sakura returns to her hospital duties when Sarada turns seven months old. It's not a decision that she takes willingly; the Hokage prods and praises until she agrees to go back part-time.

During the first weeks, their mornings go like this:

"I don't wanna go, _Anata_ ," Sakura whines, stretching the endearment as her arms reach for him across the breakfast table.

Sasuke sighs, already used to the tantrum his wife likes to throw every morning. This is the easy part, he reminds himself, they still have to say good-bye by the front door, and that's when things escalate; sometimes she barely lets Sarada go, squishing the little one tight to her chest for long periods of time.

It's a rather difficult scene to watch, Sasuke thinks as he covers one of her hands with his palm, a mother leaving her child against her wishes when they – in theory – don't really need a job to survive (his inheritance alone can last a few generations). It seems a little selfish of his part, but having his family to himself for a little longer is something he thinks he deserves after everything he went through.

"You know you have to," he tells her, being the rock for the both of them.

She gives him a watery smile that makes his eyes soften, and though they don't exchange any other word, that seems to calm her.

Sakura leaves his company only to go fetch Sarada, enjoying the last minutes together until the end of the day.

* * *

He settles into a routine in no time.

Sasuke knows enough to take care of himself, but this is the first time he's not living alone in years. He has to relearn the usual house chores, and then the new ones; those that include his wife and daughter. He sets tasks for every day of the week, following a neatly organized schedule.

He also learns – pretty quickly – how to take care of his girls.

As an earlier riser, he's the one that makes the tea in the morning and sets the table for their first meal. When Sakura leaves for work after feeding Sarada, he works on little things, like tidying up the kitchen or starting a load of laundry.

He makes the bed and sweeps the floor while Sarada naps, and when she wakes up, he brings her to the living room floor, where he sets down her toys. He usually watches as she plays with dolls and plush shurikens. Other times, Sasuke joins her on the floor, and Sarada is quick to crawl in his direction; she pushes all the toys in front of him as she goes, then climbs on his lap when she's satisfied with her work.

They play until it's time for lunch, and he takes her to the kitchen with him. Sasuke notices that Sarada likes to watch him chopping vegetables; her two black eyes follow the movements and widen with every sharp swipe of the knife. Sometimes, the soft thock of metal meeting wood seems to startle her, but he only notices it due to her small gasps. Because his daughter doesn't _look_ frightened; she's curious and attentive like a cat – facts that make his heart secretly swell with pride.

Today, as he goes through cucumbers and tomatoes and Sarada coos beside him in her high-chair, Sasuke realizes that he could improve the daily routine. As good as it is now, it's still not entirely satisfactory when half of the time he's alone.

He turns the stove off and glances over the onigiri, the chopped vegetables, and then Sarada's bottle ready to be heated. A plan takes form in his mind.

"Do you want to have lunch outside today, Sarada?" He asks his daughter, bending forward to look her in the eyes. "Let's go see Mama?"

It's like he said a magical word; Sarada claps her tiny hands in front of him, a high pitched squeal leaves her cherry mouth, and that's confirmation enough.

Sasuke prepares two bentos, the baby bag, and then stores everything in his wrist seal. The last thing he does before leaving the house is to change Sarada in a red dress that matches her mother's – he is definitely aware of the fact, though he'd deny and claim coincidence if asked.

* * *

There's a soft knock on her door just as she starts to shrug her white coat.

"Come in," she says as she pats herself down.

Sakura swipes wrinkles on her dress and re-ties her high ponytail, but nobody enters her office by the time she's done. She calls again, and the soft knock returns.

Either the person is not comfortable coming in or they didn't hear her. She moves towards the door anyway, already expecting more work before lunch. When Sakura opens it though, she's surprised to see her husband and daughter instead.

Her first thought is that there's an emergency and Sasuke is dropping Sarada off. However when her gaze focuses on him, looking for a confirmation, she doesn't see that small line between his eyebrows that appears when he's worried, which means that—

"Are you two visiting Mama today?"

The answer comes in a form of two chubby arms flailing towards her. Sasuke leans forward as Sakura readily picks the baby from him.

Her husband only observes as their daughter nuzzles her cheek, leaving saliva all over Sakura's face. His nose scrunches up in disgust and he softly shakes his head; this is not the first time this happens, and he has told her she shouldn't be encouraging it, but Sakura thinks it's so cute how her baby girl just wants to "kiss" her mama. Sasuke doesn't think that's a kiss though. Sakura doesn't really care.

She brings Sarada to her hip and moves around to close the door. "Did you miss Mama, Sara-chan?" The baby coos as she walks back to her desk. "What do we have here?"

"Lunch," Sasuke says as he deposits the bentos on her desk, moving reports around to make room for them. "Onigiri, tempura, and some vegetables."

Sakura makes a sound of delight as she sees the opened container. "Thank you, Anata." She goes on her tiptoes and places a wet kiss on his cheek much like Sarada did to hers earlier. It's a childish thing, and her husband is completely aware she did that on purpose, but he doesn't formally condemn the affectionate act and Sakura grins.

"How hungry are you?"

"I could inhale my food right now, why?" She sniffs for emphasis then snorts, making Sarada giggle.

"Sarada is here for lunch too."

"Can you help me?" She asks him, because the baby will always come first.

"Aa." He walks to the front of the office and locks the door. "Couch or floor?"

"Floor."

As Sasuke sits on the floor, back to the couch and legs parting in front of him, Sakura remembers the first time he sat exactly like this. They were travelling back home when Sarada was barely a week old, which made them stop regularly.

During one of those first stops, Sakura had to feed the baby and the inability to find a comfortable way to do so, brought an idea to the patriarch's mind. Sasuke sat down with his back to a tree, parted his legs and bent his knees, making room for her. He waved her to follow suit and sit between his legs. Sakura's back met his front, and she settled comfortably within his hold. From that day on, her husband repeated the feat that allowed her to safely feed their baby girl.

Since they arrived back in Konoha, the occurrence of the "nest" (as she likes to call it), became rare. But in days that Sarada is antsy or that Sakura is tired, her husband seems to know exactly what she needs; the comfort of her family all around her.

"Come here," he whispers as he pats the floor, one knee already bent.

She must be lost in thought for a while if he needed to use words to call her. Sakura sits down and scoots back, leaning on her husband's broad chest. Her head finds the crook of his neck as she settles around him. A hand comes up to pull her hair out of the ponytail and she hums as Sasuke runs his fingers through her pink locks.

She moves Sarada into a lying position as Sasuke works on the buttons of her dress. She didn't expect the visit or that she'd need to breastfeed during the day, and the working clothes are a nuisance.

Sasuke seems to sense her mild discomfort and helps out, bringing another smile to her lips. He exhales when he reaches the last button, the one just below her breasts, and the warm air comforts her, lulling her breathing to a relaxing pattern.

Sarada is quick to latch on her, making a few desperate noises every few seconds. Her small hand reaches up as far as it goes, but that doesn't seem to be enough, and she squirms on Sakura's hold.

Being used to the fuss, Sakura hums a lullaby she knows her daughter prefers. Immediately, she's graced by two black orbs looking up at her, a glint of curiosity in them. Sarada's eyes move from her to Sasuke a few times, prompting him to bring his arm around them.

He circles his girls with his sole arm, enveloping them so they are both embracing their daughter. Then, Sasuke brings two fingers close to Sarada's forehead and Sakura already knows what's to come next.

The affectionate poke touches the baby's head, and the little girl stretches her arm in the same direction, her fingers going around one of her Papa's.

* * *

Although Sakura only works a couple more hours after lunch, Sasuke cannot loiter around with the baby. He doesn't have to ask, the look on his wife's face tells him she knows his intentions, and she sends him grocery shopping for dinner.

The streets of Konoha's markets are always busy, a fact that he's still coming to terms with. He's been away for so long that the changes are hard to process sometimes. Sasuke avoids the main road and sticks to the ones surrounding it.

Though he's not someone that likes social interactions, he finds the art of bargaining enjoyable. It's a habit he picked up out of necessity when he started travelling with Taka, the skill came in handy when their resources were low. As the years passed, Sasuke mastered it just like he mastered walking up trees.

When he's alone, he prods the fruits and lets his gaze move towards other stalls, waiting until a vendor approaches him with a deal. He usually has a counter-offer that either amuses the stall owner or makes them work harder to secure the sale.

When Sasuke is with Sarada though, the story is different. The vendors move to the front of the stalls, nodding in greeting, big smiles on their faces. They comment on how the little girl is growing up fast, beautiful just like her mother. All the old ladies notice her red dress; they coo over the semblance of "Sakura-chan's clothes" and Sasuke smirks.

One of them hands him a bag with half-dozen apples and tells him to give the season's fruits to the missus. Sasuke always tries to pay, but the lady refuses any advances of settlement, alleging they cannot accept the money when Dr. Uchiha was so kind to her family.

It's in moments like this that the impact of his wife's work in the village hits him. Her hands can move mountains and punch goddesses, but most importantly, they heal. Her dedication and passion helps everyone that's touched by her work, literally. And that's why, Sasuke reminds himself, he's her rock every morning when she'd much prefer to stay at home with them.

A few stalls down the road, he stops to inspect the fish and Sarada scrunches up her nose; she doesn't like the smell of seafood. Sasuke huffs, amused, and sets in mind to move along soon.

"Is the salmon fresh?" Sasuke asks the fishmonger.

"Ah, Uchiha-san! Yes, always."

"They seem—"

"Hiro-san," a familiar voice interrupts him. "Is my son-in-law pestering you for discounts?"

"Hardly, Haruno-san," the old man replies with a slight stutter. Sasuke suspects the man is intimidated by the tiny blonde that is now standing beside him. "We were having a nice conversation."

"The usual?" Sasuke nods and watches as the man quickly wraps two fishes and places them in a travel bag. The owner picked the ones that look the freshest in the pile. He also notices the extra prawns that were thrown in the bag and questions the man. "That's for the wife, Uchiha-san. Give her my regards, please."

This time the vendor accepts the money but doesn't let him pay for everything, only the salmon's regular price.

"We appreciate it, Hiro-san." Mebuki smiles approvingly. "My Sakura works like a slave for this village," she adds as an afterthought like any proud mother would.

Sasuke has half a mind to correct the woman and tell her that it's _his_ Sakura. Though he'd never actually do it, he knows the petty remark wouldn't be well received.

"You're welcome, Sasuke-kun," his mother-in-law says as she snatches his daughter from him, setting Sarada around her hip. He frowns in response to her words, and it seems the woman is becoming as good as his wife in reading him, because she promptly explains. "Oh, I'm sure you had the sale, but my presence got you those prawns that Sakura likes so much."

"I'm certain it would be just fine," he says, ignoring the subtle disregard of his negotiation skills. "But, thank you."

"Sara-chan's hair is growing so fast," Mebuki tells him as she brushes the dark locks behind Sarada's ears. "We should get her a ribbon!"

The woman stirs to the main road with his daughter as if they are there shopping together since the start. Sarada turns her head and waves to him over her grandma's shoulder. He shakes his head, following them without a choice; the woman has his daughter and the same tenacity as his wife.

He hears Mebuki questioning the stall owner about ribbons and hair items he has never heard of before.

"This is my granddaughter." Mebuki turns the little girl around to face the lady. "Uchiha Sarada." His daughter squeals when she hears her name.

"Is this precious thing Sakura's baby girl?" The lady asks, the sight of Sarada filling her with awe.

"Oh yes, she is."

"I heard about the new Uchiha Princess but this is the first time I see her this close." The woman reaches out to hold Sarada's hand, inspecting the little fingers. "With parents like hers, she couldn't be anything but gorgeous, of course."

"You are too kind, but I have to agree with you," Mebuki says as she brushes Sarada's hair affectionately.

"I'm out of red ribbons, I have orange—"

"No orange," Sasuke intervenes quickly.

"Ok, _no_ orange. I have this blue ribbon and for red, I only have this clip."

The vendor brings the item closer for his inspection and he doesn't really see what's so special; it's just a tiny, red rectangle that shines as it catches the sunlight.

"Oh that will look adorable, right Sasuke-kun? We'll take both."

Mebuki nudges Sasuke, looking up at him with an expression that says _'what? you are the one with the money.'_ He raises an eyebrow back, but grabs a couple bills from his pocket anyway.

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly accept this, not this time at least." The lady says, shaking her head as she puts the items in a gift bag. "This is a gift from our shop to Sarada-chan. My mother would be horrified knowing I didn't welcome the new Uchiha properly. She was the one that designed hairpins for Mikoto-san."

She smiles at them, offering the gift with both hands. Sasuke is too astonished at the new information to react. He observes as Mebuki leans forward with Sarada and together they accept the colorful bag from the shop owner. He finds the woman's gaze and nods, showing her his gratitude – for the gift and her words too.

He quickly scans the shop, saving its name for later, adding a mental note to stop by and order hairpins for his wife.

Mebuki opens the gift bag as they resume their walk, and grabs the red clip, pinning Sarada's hair to the side. There's nothing covering her eyes now and she beams, looking around with the last bits of her afternoon energy. She'll crash soon; it's like clockwork, he knows.

"The Tanakas are very nice," his mother-in-law says when they return to the other road.

"Aa." He agrees; the thought that his daughter – a new Uchiha – was so well received makes his steps lighter. "Did you know?" He doesn't clarify; did you know they had business with my mother? is left unsaid.

"I remember, yes. This is where I ordered Sakura's hairpin for the wedding, the one she never used." Mebuki pokes his arm, still bitter that they eloped in the middle of nowhere. He looks down at her, but doesn't see the usual scowl that always follows the subject. Her eyes are soft, almost smiling at him. "I wanted to keep the tradition."

A squawk calls their attention and they all look up. Sarada raises her hands when she sees the hawk circling a few feet above them. Sasuke sighs. That's Kakashi's way to summon him these days.

"Give me the bags. I'm sure Hokage-sama will appreciate that his office doesn't smell like seafood. I'll drop them off at the house on my way."

"I'll take her," Sasuke says, handing Mebuki the bags and picking Sarada up. "Thank you, I won't be long."

"Don't worry, I'll have dinner started by the time you two arrive."

He accepts the offer with an ease that wouldn't be there a few years ago. It surprises him, and at the same time, he's glad he's able to do so. He's not alone anymore.

* * *

The walk to the Hokage Tower is short, and he reaches it within five minutes. Sarada is quiet during the trip, leaning on his shoulder, an arm around his neck.

Sasuke doesn't wait to be announced, he crosses the hallway and opens the door without knocking; the assistant recognizes him this time, and doesn't try to stop him when he enters the Hokage's office.

He finds his former Sensei behind a pile of paperwork, nose buried in his orange book. "Kakashi," he calls in greeting.

"Ah, Sasuke," the man looks up and all the attention is redirected to the child in his arm. "And Sarada-chan, you came to visit _me_?"

"We came because you summoned me," Sasuke replies flatly. "And it happens that I was close by with my daughter."

Leaning back on his chair, the Hokage sighs and studies him. "Have you reconsidered it?"

For a moment Sasuke wishes he still had his other arm, only so he could pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He had made clear to Kakashi that he's not adding his name to the shinobi roster anytime soon. Sarada is very young and Sakura is working; his family needs him.

"Thought so," Kakashi says as he picks up a scroll from a pile. "That's not why I called you here though. I need your help."

As the Hokage explains how he needs one of Sasuke's summons for reconnaissance purposes, a mission that only a snake could do, Sasuke relaxes, listening to the plan carefully.

Sarada chooses this time to twist around his hold and look everywhere, turning her head to all directions. She pushes against his chest with both hands, trying to get down to the floor. He sees how Kakashi's amused by the scene and huffs.

Pressing his fingers on Sarada's hip, Sasuke tries to make her stop. She's usually like this when nobody is paying attention to her, becoming restless until she finds something to focus her energy on. The little nudge works, though not exactly how he thought it would.

Her tiny hands reach up to his face, fingers brushing his hair carefully. She knows that if she touches someone's hair, she needs to be gentle; Sakura has taught her that after several occasions where Sarada's tiny fists pulled pink strands without an ounce of mercy.

His daughter keeps playing with his ink locks, moving them behind his ear to peek at his hidden eye. She, much like her mother, seems to be fascinated by his Rinnegan. It's probably the color, he thinks as he makes his tomoes spin slowly. Sarada's eyes are glued to them, following the movement with sheer interest, her hand rests on his cheekbone, holding the hair away.

By the end of the meeting, Sarada's head is back in the crook of his neck. She's sleepy, due to her afternoon nap, and Sasuke wants to take her home as soon as possible.

He leaves through the window, promising the Rokudaime that he'll send one of Aoda's underlings in the morning.

* * *

The smell of food hits his nostrils before he opens the door.

He toes off his sandals and the sound of food sizzling guides him to the kitchen, where he finds his wife turning the stove off. Dinner seems to be almost done; the salad and rice are on the counter beside the groceries. Sasuke notices the extra carton of tomatoes and makes a mental note to thank his mother-in-law later.

To avoid waking Sarada up, Sasuke doesn't say a word. He just watches as his wife brings a finger to her lips and walks towards them. She smiles at him, eyes gleaming with so much love he forgets how to breathe for a moment. He gives her a quick grin, letting her know he, too, missed her.

Sasuke deposits Sarada on his wife's waiting arms and follows his girls upstairs. Leaning on the doorframe, he watches as Sakura tucks Sarada in, covering her up to the chin.

She brushes their daughter's dark locks gently and finds the tiny red clip he bought earlier. Sakura takes it off and inspects it, then uses it to hold her hair back.

Turning to face him, She strikes a pose and shows him the clip and how it keeps her bangs pinned to the side. It seems too small and too vibrant for her hair, but Sakura looks cute and her childlike excitement as she models the accessory for him is contagious. Amused, Sasuke smirks and shakes his head, opening an arm for her.

Sakura doesn't waste a second and skips to him, hugging his waist and tucking her head under his chin.

* * *

"Tousan told me to remind you of tomorrow's game."

"Aa, I'll be there."

Since they moved back, Sakura's parents are making sure they are more involved in her and Sasuke's life, especially now that they finally granted them their wish: a grandchild.

Her mother stops by every other day. She comes to see Sarada and gush about how beautiful and smart her granddaughter is. Mebuki usually brings vegetables from her father's garden ( _freshly picked tomatoes for Sasuke-kun_ ) and more often than not, she complains about something Sakura is doing wrong.

Her father is the complete opposite. Sakura sees him only when they have dinner together at her parent's house or she invites them over. Sometimes when he's near the hospital, he knocks on her office door and says a quick hello. He always gives her a lecture about meals and work breaks. Then, he asks about Sarada-chan.

When they visit, her father likes to sit on the engawa after dinner and talk about his vegetable garden. Sarada is usually on his lap and Sasuke sits beside them as Kizashi goes on and on about the variety of crops and the new seeds he's ordered from other villages.

It seems her father enjoys having a son-in-law or maybe he's just happy there's finally another man in the family. Recently, he's invited Sasuke for a _shogi_ match over tea. Sakura feared that it would be a disaster, considering her husband's social skills, but she was quickly proved wrong when the one-time meeting turned into a weekly event.

Sakura fills her plate with more food before asking him, "so, how's the score?"

"It's a tie. Your father won last week," Sasuke answers quickly before stuffing his mouth with more fish. It becomes a sore subject if he's not the week's victor.

Most people underestimate her father because of his silly jokes and appearance. They fail to notice he's book smart and can easily strategize battles if he wants to.

"Don't let him distract you with all that tomato talk," she reminds him, chopsticks pointing to the ripe cherry tomatoes on his plate. Her father's manipulation skills are sharper than his puns sometimes.

"That was _one_ time."

"So what happened last week?"

"He used _you_ ," Sasuke says, a tinge of accusation in his tone.

Sakura frowns, thinking of all her childhood stories and what could possibly make her husband this upset. When she comes up with nothing, discarding a few embarrassing moments, she asks, "care to elaborate?"

"Kizashi made sure I knew about _all_ the suitors that begged him for your hand before I returned. He mentioned a few _omiais._ " He huffs, cheeks turning slightly pink. Her husband goes back to eating then, gaze fixed on his plate.

Sakura notices how his eyebrows are creased, drawn together into a frown, the same way when he's bothered by something. "You know I only have eyes for you," she tells him matter of factly. "It's _always_ been you."

When Sasuke doesn't say anything, Sakura gets up and moves around the table, stopping by his side. Her hand reaches up and brushes his bangs away. She notices how he has quickly schooled his face, except for the set of his jaw.

She cups his cheek, tilting his head up to meet her gaze, and lets her eyes speak for her. Every time, the silent exchange seems to be more effective than any love declarations she recites.

"Come on," she whispers, breaking the spell. "It's _dessert_ time."

She grabs his hand and pulls him down the hall towards their bedroom, because her husband is a man of actions, and sometimes she needs to show him how much she loves him.

* * *

Sometime in the middle of the night, Sasuke wakes up.

He doesn't remember falling asleep or going to bed to be exact. He remembers dinner and being upset, and then Sakura—

_Oh._

They must have dozed off after _that_.

Their limbs are intertwined under the sheets; his arm curls around Sakura, resting on her waist. Her head lays on his chest, a hand over his heart. He doesn't want to move, the intimacy of their embrace is pleasant, undoubtedly serene.

He glances at the nightstand clock and sees that there are still a few hours before dawn. His fingertips draw lazy patterns on his wife's smooth skin as he thinks of his day and everything that awaits for him.

There will be breakfast with Sakura and playing time with Sarada. Chores and errands. Maybe an impromptu visit to his wife around lunch time and grocery shopping after. There will be favors exchanged between family and friends. A shogi match over tea. Picking up tomatoes for dinner. Meals together (and _definitely_ dessert) followed by a quiet night in with his family.

"Sakura," he whispers, nudging her forehead with his nose.

There will be struggles to come too, he knows, but right now Sasuke is equally certain that they will find their way through each one of them. They are together and safe, and though this wasn't something he'd known _how_ to want before, he knows he can't live without it.

_This is (they are) home._

"Hm?"

"Tadaima."

**Author's Note:**

> I needed some fluff too... I hope you guys like this as much as I do. T-T
> 
> xoxo


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